Couple shot dead in Punjab honour killing

AMRITSAR - In a suspected case of honour killing, a couple who married against the wishes of their families was shot dead in front of a school in Patti town near this Punjab city Tuesday evening, the police said.

Prabhjot Kaur, 19, and Pardeep Singh, 35, were shot dead in front of the Government Senior Secondary School in Patti, 25 km from this city.

According to police, Prabhjot and Pardeep had married in court last year. Two bodyguards of the couple were accompanying them when they were killed.

“Two men, who were in a Maruti car, opened fire at the couple and they died on the spot. The attack was so quick that the bodyguards were left stunned and failed to react. The assailants fled the spot immediately,” said a police official here.

He added, “Prabhjot, a Class 12 student, had just come out of the examination hall of the school at around 5.30 p.m. when this incident happened.”

Prabhjot hailed from Moga town while Pradeep was a native of the border town of Ferozepur. Both their families were having strained relations for the past year over the marriage.

Sensing threat to their lives, the couple had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court in Chandigarh, around 250 km from here, for security cover, said police sources.

District police chief Sukhdev Singh Brar said, “We have registered a case against unknown persons. Our investigation is on and we are looking into various aspects of this killing. Police are raiding various places to nab the accused.”